Tone of Voice: Your Brand Doesn’t Need To Sound Like Oatly
A great voice requires showing up— consistently, credibly and compellingly– in a way that makes sense for your brand.
If you’ve ever flipped through a Tone of Voice brand deck, you’ve probably seen the same examples pop up over and over again: Oatly. Surreal. Liquid Death. (And let’s not forget Innocent, whose cutesy-verging-on-cloying messaging spearheaded the whole ‘wackaging’ wave). These voices are quirky. Self-aware, maybe wryly self-deprecating. They can get away with roasting their customers, bending grammar rules and even turning their legal disclaimers into a full-on comedy routine. And while they are great examples of brands that know exactly who they are and who they’re talking to, the ‘wit and wink’ approach shouldn’t be heralded as the only way for brands to make meaningful connections with their audience through Tone of Voice.
For some brands, that might mean playful, off-the-cuff copy with a touch of absurdity. For others, it might mean quiet confidence, authority or even formality.
Take Patagonia. Their voice is straightforward and mission-led. They don’t need to be funny to be distinctive. They need to sound responsible and clear. Their credibility comes from their environmental impact, not their sense of humour. They’re the adult in the room.
How about Volvo? Their brand voice is measured and reassuring. Safety is their whole deal, and their words reflect it: calm, reassuring and built to instil trust. If Volvo suddenly launched a campaign filled with cheekiness, sarcasm or absurdity, it would feel wildly jarring.
Too often, the desire for a 'witty and weird’ voice can become a shortcut for perceived differentiation rather than an actual strategic choice. A lot of brands seem to believe that if it’s quirky, it’s good. That if they just add a little self-aware snark, it will make their brand feel fresh. I’m thinking here of the British soft drink brand Oasis, around in the UK since the 90s and manufactured by the Coca-Cola EuroPacific Partners, which had adopted a Tone of Voice that seems to stray more towards trends led by others rather than humour grounded in a real point of view. While playful defiance and self-deprecation work for Oatly, here it feels hollow—more like an imitation than a point of view. And in branding, there’s nothing worse than being forgettable.
The best brands find a voice that works for them. Over the years, I’ve developed Tone of Voice for multiple hotel groups, banks, a semiconductor company and a large number of food & beverage brands. Each one needed something distinct. A luxury hotel group, for example, needs to exude warmth and effortless hospitality. A bank must project stability and trust. A semiconductor company might need to communicate precision and expertise, while a snack brand can lean into playfulness and personality. Or not. The point is that voice isn’t just about style— it’s about finding what’s true to its identity, audience and industry.
That’s why the most meaningful and relevant brand voices don’t start with a mood board of clever one-liners. Instead, they begin with a deep understanding of what the brand stands for, who it’s speaking to and how it needs to show up in the world.
So, what does it actually take to develop a strong, differentiated tone of voice? One that actually works for your business (not just your brand deck)?
Here are a few key questions to consider:
Who are you talking to?
Your audience should shape the way you speak. A Gen Z skincare brand can afford to be irreverent. A financial institution managing life savings? Probably not.What do you stand for?
If your brand voice doesn’t reflect your core beliefs, it’s just decoration. Are you here to be a trusted expert? A cultural tastemaker? A challenger brand shaking things up? Your words should make that clear.What emotions do you want to evoke?
Do you want people to feel inspired? Reassured? Entertained? A strong brand voice is intentional about the emotional response it creates.How does your industry speak? And do you want to fit in or stand out?
Some industries thrive on familiarity. Others reward disruption. If you’re a legal firm, you might need a voice that signals credibility. If you’re a new energy drink brand, being a little unhinged might be your best strategy.Are you being different just for the sake of it?
A unique brand voice is great. But it has to be rooted in something meaningful. If your entire identity relies on being quirky, what happens when that tone gets old?
A great brand voice doesn’t need to be loud. Or weird. Or funny. It just needs to be right. Forget the templates. Look beyond the one-size-fits-all brand deck examples. Instead, define your voice through the lens of archetypes—grounding it in a deeper understanding of who your brand is and who it serves. A Rebel brand might thrive on irreverence, for example, while a Sage brand builds authority through clarity. A Jester can lean into humour, but only if it’s in service of connection, not just noise.
But knowing your archetype is just the start. Strong Tone of Voice guidelines don’t restrict creativity. They unlock it. Good guidelines liberate. They provide the structure to ensure consistency while allowing enough flexibility for your voice to feel human, adaptable and real. When done right, they free up your prose, making it easier to write with genuine competence and confidence. Because while wit might win attention, authenticity builds trust. And trust keeps brands relevant long after the latest Tone of Voice trend fades.
I nodded along with this entire read. My first question in response to a brief is always, "Who is the intended audience?" If we aren't addressing the audience, we're doing it wrong. Thank you for this wisdom!
Oatly, Surreal, Liquid Death and innocent are all brands created by ad people, so they inevitably end up appealing to other ad people - so it was good of you to point out that’s just one kind of tone of voice, and indeed may be far more limiting beyond the ad festivals, juries and echo chambers of social media.